Ventilator



Jan. 15, 1957 R. P. PACKARD VENTILATOR Filed Aug. 26, 1952 IN VEN TOR.

Ra /m 0nd PPac'kard 2 771 6 VENTILATOR Ra mw dP- c ard coma, hevv i ases A s-i ms seria NQ- 30 3 3 Claims. (Cl. 20-561) My inyention pertains to ventilators, and relates particularly' to a wall typeventilator which is freely adjustable from top and bottom for varying degrees of circulation and which is ofsuch construction as to prevent entrance of rain in any position of said adjustment and to be airtight when closed. I

It is a principal object of my invention to provide a ventilator particularly adaptable to conventional house construction methods. i

Another important object of my invention is the provision ofa wall type ventilator which employs vertically slidable top and bottom closure panels and' wherein novel resilient guide means is so constructed. and ar ranged as to function both as a friction grip to secure the panels in desired positions of adjustment and as a Weatherstripping and air tight seal for said panels.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a wall type ventilator which incorporates a compact arrangement "of rain deflecting louvers, an insect repellanfscreen and adjustable ventilator panels.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a ventilator of the foregoing type whichis ofv simplified and therefore economical construction. i

These and-other-objects and-advantages of my invention' will appear from the following detailed description takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: A

Figure lis a foreshortenedinside view ofa ventilator embodying the featuresv of. my invention;

Figure 2' is a foreshorten ed sectional view of the ventilator taken along the line in Figure l; i V

Figure 3' is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3- in Figure 2 andshowingthe operation of the weatherstripping guide with the ventilator panel in contact therewith; and V v t Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similarto Figure 3and showing the panel'retracted' from. engagement with the weatherstripping guide;

Referring particularlyto Figuresl and 2 ofthe drawing, the ventilator includes a rectangular-framewhich is preferably similar in construction to aconventionalwindow frame. Thus, the frame comprises the pair of spaced vertical-side stile membersl and 2-.secured together. at their upper ends by the horizontal header member 3 and attheir lower ends by. the sill 4. The edges. ofiframe members 1, Land-3 are trimmed byoutsidecasing. 5 and inside casing dintheusual manner.

A secondary frame, preferably constructedof metal, fits within the outer frame adjacent theuouter edge. of the latter. This secondary frame comprises,thepainofside members 7-each provided witha flange 8.wh ichv is turned outwardly at aright angle to the. said member .7, and a topmember 9securing.the side members .7 together at their upper ends. Thetop member 9 is alSO PIOY-ide with a flange 1n .which..is urnesontwa d, N -2 m, therefrom. As shown in Figure 2, the top member 9 is placed against thednn e r face 'of header 3awith its flange I} I 2,777,176 Patented Jan. 15 1957 10 secured between the outer edge of the header and the outer casing 5.

The arrangement of the side members 7 is best shown in vFigures 3 and 4, wherein it is to be noted that the flange '8 is secured between the outer edge of the stile member 2 and the outer casing 5, with the side member '7 spaced from the inner face of the stile member 2.

A plurality of vertically spaced louvers 11 extend laterally between the side members 7 and are received at their opposite ends in complementary shaped slots formed in said side members. The louvers extend outwardly in a downward direction and are spaced in such manner that the outer edge 12 of one louver extends below the inner edge 13 of the louver next below it. In this manner the louverseffectively prevent the entrance of rain from the outer side of the ventilator into the interior.

A fine mesh screen 14 extends across the inner edges of the secondary frame. A portion of the sides of the screenvare bent outwardly and reinforced with U-shaped metal straps 15 which enclose said side portions and are secured thereto as by rivets, welding or soldering. The straps 15 are also secured to the side members 7 in similar manner, and these straps overlie the ends of the louvers 11- to secure the latter against displacement.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the secondary frame, louvers and screen are preferably formed as an integral unit which may be installed in or removed from the main. frame with maximum facility.-

Secured to the innerface of each. stile '7" adjacent the inner edge. of the latter is a stop strip 16. In. the construction illustrated in the drawing and best shown in Figure 2, this stop. strip is reduced in width along the upper two-thirds of its length, the junction of the. lower, wide section thereof with. the narrow section forming a shoulder 17'. 'Theupper endslof the stops 16:.are joinedby stop strip lfi secured to the header 3', while the bottom.

ends of the stops are joined-by stop strip 19* secured to the-.sill4; as bestshown-in Figure 2; An inner casing 20, similar to casing 6, is employed as trim to conceal the edge of the stop 19 andsill 4. V

A fixed panel: 21 is mounted at its lower edge upon the shoulder 1-7and is secured-to the side stiles 1' and Z. This panelextendsvertically and is spaced from theadjacent edge of the narrow section of each stop 16 to provide a groove 22" therebetween;

An upper slidable panel 23: is positioned against. the edge of stops 16 facing the fixed panel 21 with its-lower end extending slightly into the grooves 22'. Abovethe fixed panel 21 eachof. the grooves 22 is extendedby means or" an elongated resilient metal runner. This runner is substantially L-shapedin crosssection (Figures 3 and 4), onesection24 thereof being secured. between the stiles it and:2- andthe corresponding stop 16; The face of stop 16 adjacent the stile is relievedobliquelyat 25 and the runner-sectionl l-is bentto the same angle, as best'shown-in Figured The second,sectionldszof the runner is bentat sub st-antially right angle, preferably; slightly less than. withrespect to section 24 in ordento force: the. :panel '23 into firm, butslidable, contact withthe abutting edge of stop 16. Thus, as theipanel 23iis moved upwardly from its lowermost position in grooves 22, the runner is .flexed laterally outward from its. position in Figure .4 to its tensed position in Figure 3. The runners thereby. exert a fr-ictional force. onv the-edges of panel-zdiat sections 24 and also antadded frictionaliforce. at sections 26. These frietio nal contacts servethe dual purpose of-maintaining thepanel 23 :in any-position ofvertical adjustment addals-dofprevidingan-a-ir tight seal."

A strip of felt 27, is secured along the lower end of panel 23 for sliding contact with the fixed panel 21, the felt functioning as an air seal and also to protect the exposedsurface of the fixed panel as the slidable panel 23 is moved relative thereto.

A lower slidable panel 28 is disposed on the outer side of the fixed panel 21 in sliding contact with the edge of the thicker section of stops 16 below shoulder 17. The upper end of panel 28 extends above the lower end of the fixed panel 21 and a strip of felt 29 is secured to the latter to protect the exposed. surface of the lower panel 28, in manner similar to the function of the felt strip 27.

A guide groove is also provided for each side edge of panel28 in substantially the same manner as is provided for the upper panel 23. Thus, the elongated resilient metal runners are each substantially L-shaped in cross section. One section 30 of each runner is secured between the stiles i and 2 and the adjacent face of the lower, Wider section of stop 16 and the edge of fixed panel 21. The lower section of stop 16 is relieved in the manner of the upper section at 25 and the runner section 30 is bent obliquely as at 24 in the upper runner. The second section 31 is bent at less than 90 with respect to section 30, as previously explained. The lower runner extends upwardly from the sill 4 to a point adjacent the upper end of the fixed panel 21, as shown in Figure 2.

The vertically slidable panels 23 and 28 are each provided with a handle 32 of any conventional type to facilitate manipulation of the panels to various positions of adjustment.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that my ventilator is constructed for installation in substantially the same general form as a window. The ventilator may be made in various sizes, although it is considered advantageous to provide them in widths equal to the conventional spacing between the vertical studdings of a house wall. For example, I have found that a very efficient ventilator is provided when its dimensions are made about four feet high and sixteen inches wide to fit between studdings spaced sixteen inches apart. Excellent circulation of air through the top and bottom adjustable ventilators is afforded.

The resilient upper runners comprising sections 24 and 26 and the lower runners comprising sections 30 and 31 function not only to secure the respective ventilator panels 23 and 28 frictionally between said runners and the cooperating edges of the side stops 16 in any desired position of adjustment, but also serve as Weatherstripping means by providing an air tight seal between them and the panels.

The provision of louvers 11 prevents the entrance of rain into the inside and thereby permits the panels 21, 23and 28 to be overlapped on the inside for greater accessibility and more attractive appearance.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in the foregoing structural details may be made within the scope of my invention. For example, the louvers 11 may be secured at their ends in recesses formed in the stiles 1 and 2 rather than by the provision of the secondary frame 7. The metal louvers illustrated may be constructed of wood or other suitable materials, and so may the other elements of the ventilator be constructed of materials other than wood. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the foregoing descrip' tion is merely illustrative of my invention and is not to be construed in a limiting sense.

Having now described my invention and the manner in which the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A ventilator comprising a frame including top and bottom and spaced side members, vertical stop members on the side members adjacent the inner edge of the latter, the surface of the stop members facing the side members being relieved obliquely outward, elongated resilient runner means secured between the side frame members and the side stop members and normally biased inwardly of the side members parallel to the relieved faces of the stop members and movable resiliently toward and away from the side members of the frame, the outer edge of the runner means being'bent inwardly and forming a substantially right angle, the bent outer edge of the runner means being spaced from the outward edge of the stop members to form a guide groove therebetween, an upper panel mounted slidably in the upper groove, and a lower panel mounted slidably in the lower groove, said slidable panels being narrower in width than the distance between the side members of the frame, the runners thereby resiliently engaging the lateral edges and the outer faces of the panels to secure the latter frictionally in the grooves and to form a weather seal therebetween while permitting movement of the panels toward and away from the sidemembers of the frame.

2. A ventilator comprising a frame including top and bottom and spaced side members, vertical stop members on the side members adjacent the inner edge of the latter, the surface of the stop members facing the side members being relieved obliquely outward, elongated resilient runner means secured between the side frame members and the side stop members and normally biased inwardly of the side members parallel to the relieved faces of the stop members and movable resiliently toward and away from the side members of the frame, the outer edge of the runner means being bent inwardly and forming a substantially right angle, the bent outer edge of the runner means being spaced from the outward edge of the stop members to form a guide groove therebtwecn, a fixed central panel secured to the frame, an upper panel mounted slidably in the upper groove, said slidable panels being narrower in width than the distance between the side members of the frame, and a lower panel mounted slidably in the lower groove, the runners thereby resiliently engaging the lateral edges and the outer faces of the panels to secure the latter frictionally in the grooves and to form a weather seal therebetween while permitting movement of the panels toward and away from the side members of the frame.

3. A ventilator comprising a main frame including top and bottom and spaced side members, vertical stop members on the side members adjacent the inner edge of the latter, the outwardly facing edge of the stop members being offset outwardly about one-third the distance from the bottom thereof and forming a shoulder thereby, the surface of the stop members facing the side members being relieved obliquely outward, elongated resilient runner means secured between the side frame members and the side stop members and normally biased inwardly of the side members parallel to the relieved faces of the stop members and movable resiliently toward and away from the side members of the frame, the outer edge of the runner means being bent inwardly and forming a substantially right angle, the bent outer edge of the runner means being spaced from the outward edge of the stop members to form a guide groove therebetween, a fixed central panel secured to the frame, an upper panel mounted slidably in the upper. groove on the inner side of the fixed panel, and a lower panel mounted slidably in the lower groove on the outer side of the fixed panel, said slidable panels being narrower in width than the distance between the side members of the frame, the runners thereby resiliently engaging the lateral edges and the outer faces of the panels to secure the latter frictionally in the grooves and to form a weather seal therebetween while permitting movement of the panels toward and away from the side members of the frame.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Olsar Jan. 26, 1943 6 Siebenlist Feb. 2, 1943 7 Russell et a1. Jan. 14, 1947 Lilly June 5, 1951 Kaufman Jan. 29, 1952 Sylvan Mar. 11, 1952 Wisner Nov. 4, 1952 

